


Friend, Please

by Fatty Batty (Sephi902)



Category: Hoshi no Kaabii | Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Didn't tag spoilers, Gen, Inspired by Music, Knights - Freeform, Masked knight, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Knight Character, Original villain - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person, Playlist, Renamed Side Characters, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28913202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephi902/pseuds/Fatty%20Batty
Summary: They should be used to desperate people making horrible decisions by now, but somehow it always goes too far before anyone does anything about it. A person fell prey to the empty promises of dark, powerful hearts to become Arcta Knight. As they make their mark on Dreamland, Meta Knight grows anxious about the encroaching danger and leaves suddenly to prepare for a duel like no other.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Unknown Knight

**Author's Note:**

> My first time using music to determine fanfic. Here are the songs I listened to.
> 
> Playlist (not mine): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhLUHigkWO4TZDAy_V5rgJ8V5O-r54yc5
> 
> Song for the name and dynamic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Q_0iKNnVM

Blades clashed in the dead of night. The metal clanging rang in the empty air accented by the valiant cries of battling warriors. A pair of expired bodies lay on the battlefield in broken chainmail armor and torn markings belonging to the kingdom nearby.

“Geola!” The last guard remaining cries as his last ally falls. Geola reached for his sword feebly before falling limp. Cepel felt tears brimming his eyes. He ran at the warrior in the harlequin mask. They push Cepel away and, with a lucky slice, splatter Cepel’s blood on the dirt. He coughed and knelt, holding his shoulder as it stained his gauntlet. He eyed the horizon just past his opponent. His reinforcements were supposed to arrive soon… he had to buy more time. 

Cepel lunged and stabbed at the mask itself, aiming to get it off and reveal the bastard wreaking havoc. The wound caused him to falter and another swift strike was dealt to his leg, keeping him kneeled below the harlequin. Cepel gripped his sword tightly. The fight began at twilight, yet the warrior never grew tired.

From the shadows, another group of soldiers raced in only to see the aftermath. The harlequin raised their blade. He smiled. He had held them off just long enough. Cepel dropped his sword and turned to the army.

“Someone,” Cepel coughed, “run! Go and tell M-” 

The head rolled before the body dropped. Scattered gasps erupted from the reinforcements as they stared in silence. The commander tightened his grip on his blade and gulped.

“Claihd, fall back and inform his Lordship.” He said between his teeth. A green-clad swordsman beside him stepped forward with a hesitant nod.

“But... what about you, Lann?” He asked.

“We’re going to give it our all. Now go!” Lann ordered. Claihd’s legs carried him fast and far before he fully grasped Lann’s words. Swords met suddenly behind him, stuttering his gait in fear. He had to refuse the urge to look back despite the shouts and devastation beckoning to him. Claihd shook his head and pushed himself faster towards the kingdom of Dreamland.

* * *

Lann watched his companion flee as he gathered his own nerves and faced the clown-faced freak. They stared back at him with unblinking eye-lights shrowded in black. A quirk he recognized many knights to have. Usually, knights that were much stronger than he. He begged silently that Claihd would get to the castle in time. The nervous shuffling behind him brought him back to the task at hand. He braced himself and pointed his sword ahead, the army charging from behind him and pouncing on Clown-face.

They remained unflinching. Each weapon glanced off their blade as if they were batting away flies. Lann watched Clown-face fight, studying them a moment and piecing together a strategy. Eyes toward the sky, he squinted at the darkened moon overhead and hummed softly to himself. With a short signal, he informed the army to go defensive. They merely had to tire the knight out, that was all he needed to stand a chance.

Lann looked once again at Clown-face and shuddered. While batting away his army, they kept their eyes on him. Head stationery. That wicked grin plastered on the pallid mask. Blood hadn’t been drawn yet. He grimaced and leaped into the fray. The lancers stabbed at a distance behind Clown-face. Swordsmen meeting them in head-on dueling. As Lann approached, the mask seemed to grin wider. With an expert motion, they disarmed a swordsman and slashed their throat. The man twirled to the ground causing Lann to rush faster towards that demon.

“Hmph, he’s toying with us.” He grumbled, lunging. 

“Of course.”

Lann’s blade was caught by theirs. He staggered backward, giving Clown-face room. A massive chill swept the battlefield as ice encased the army, leaving them as statues in mid-battle. Lann gaped at the rows of halted comrades. His legs refused to function. Clown-face straightened and rested their blade on their shoulder. The blood dripping from it trailed down their back.

“What the…?” Lann said around the thick lump in his throat.

“And I’m getting bored.”


	2. Lone Messenger

Castle Dedede was surrounded by a rather quaint yet bustling town. The rather friendly residents waved to each other and spoke about benign business with kind smiles. A caped man strode from the Dreamland castle to patrol the streets. A sparse guard wasn’t uncommon in Cappy Town. Often, Meta Knight found himself alone in the town while his men took to the borders. The people greeted him as they did their neighbors, with wide grins and sweet words. Meta Knight turned his gaze to the clear, bright sky and smirked beneath the mask. He paused a moment and studied the few clouds crawling along the vast blue expanse.

“Good morning, Sir Meta Knight.” A voice snapped him from his thoughts. His cape wrapped around him as he turned to the civilian and nodded a silent greeting. Meta Knight continued his rounds as usual. No delay, no fuss. It wasn’t long before he was finished and returning to the castle to report no abnormalities.

The castle was strangely empty that evening. Meta Knight glanced around the grand hall. Potted plants, few servants passing through with equal confusion. His brow furrowed. The heavy doors to King Dedede’s throne room groaned open as Meta Knight stepped through. King Dedede, the rotund royal penguin, sat on the throne shouting at his sniveling snail advisor. Meta Knight rolled his eyes at the familiar sight before bowing his head to his employer.

“King Dedede.” He addressed, awaiting a pause in their fight and permission to continue. 

“There you are! You had me waiting long enough!” Dedede chastised. 

“Where have your shadows run off to?” Escargoon asked, raising one eyestalk over the other quizzically.

“They have been on the perimeter since last night,” Meta Knight answered, “they still haven’t returned. I am beginning to worry.” King Dedede laughed, about to reply when he was interrupted by Escargoon’s devious whispers. He grumbled under his breath to him with a growing sinister grin. Meta Knight was a statue in waiting. Used to the long stretches between speaking in a direct conversation with the king. He politely coughed to remind them of his presence, but it was unnecessary.

“Meta Knight!” A young voice cried, dripping in panic. Meta Knight stopped idling and raced to the living hall, hand on his hilt. As he approached, Lann raised his head. He was accompanied by a pair of nurses too busy to face the commander. The source of the voice, the young lady of the castle, held Lann’s hand in the most caring manner. She beckoned Meta Knight over while keeping his weak hand in hers. 

“What happened?” Meta Knight asked. Lann’s brows arched and furrowed, fear, surprise, worry. He had no breath to vocalize his issue. Sweat poured from his face turning his hair to string clinging to his brow and he panted heavily with a faint wheeze. Meta Knight turned his gaze to Lann’s partner but found no other soldier in the hall. He frowned and set his hands on the table.

“Where’s Claihd?” 

Lann’s face paled and his eyes fell to the floor. He refused to meet Meta Knight’s stern scowl as tears welled in him. Meta Knight stepped away, allowing the soldier some time to breathe.

“Let me know when he is fit t-” 

“Claihd told me to get you,” Lann finally spoke, though his head was still heavy and downcast, “I can’t give you more with children present…” He shifted sight from the floor to young lady Tiff. It took a moment, but she understood and slipped out of the living hall without a word. Lann watched her leave, ensuring the door was shut before he met his commander’s gaze. Tears streamed down his face, but he forced himself to remain composed. He cleared his throat and sniffed, closing his eyes to focus.

“We heard Geola’s horn from a distance and ran there as fast as we could. Geola was already dead, so was the rest of his squad. Cepel was the last one fighting this… well it looked like a knight? A knight of your caliber more than ours. We got there while Cepel was still fighting but he was beheaded in an instant. Claihd sent me to get you right after. Y-you need to hurry. The battle is in the plains, just outside Whispy Woods. Please help them, Sir Meta Knight.” As Lann explained he became more and more frantic, standing as he passionately pleaded, losing his grip and spilling more tears. Meta Knight clasped his shoulder, bringing some ease and sitting him back down. Silence took the room, Lann needed to calm down and Meta Knight needed to finalize a plan. He nodded sharply and marched to the doors. 

“I need to borrow you,” he said to the nurse packing away the first aid kit used on Lann. She was taken by surprise but agreed and followed behind him. The second he opened the door, Tiff and Tuff got under his feet.

“What’s going on?” Tuff buzzed.

“Let us go with you!” Tiff demanded.

“No. This is a serious matter.” Meta Knight grimaced at the rowdy pair and attempted to step past them. They crowded him as he left the castle. He stopped at the fountain in the town square and attempted to detach the children from his cape.

“You two need to stay here.” He said.

“If it’s a monster, you know we can handle it! We’ll bring Kirby and we’ll beat it in no time!” The pair clamored over each other. Meta Knight sighed and crouched to their level. 

“This isn’t like the monsters Kirby deals with. I need you two to stay in town. I’m serious.” He was grim, his voice lowered and calm. Tuff stepped back, seeming spooked. Tiff folded her arms and glared at him. They stared each other down for a while, the fountain trickling in the silence. Finally, Tiff threw her arms and gave in.


End file.
